Tribe 2. Conospermeæ.—Anthers: one with 2 perfect cells, two with 1 perfect and 1 abortive cell, the fourth abortive, the perfect cells broad, concave, erect, without any connective, the adjoining ones of distinct anthers applied face to face, so as to form in the bud one cell; all on very short thick filaments at the base of the laminæ or summit of the perianth-tube. Ovule 1. Fruit a dry nut.
5. SYNAPHEA, R. Br.
Flowers hermaphrodite. Perianth oblique or incurved, the tube short, the segments separating, the upper one with an erect ovate or oblong lamina, the three others usually shorter and more spreading. Stamens inserted at the base of the laminæ, the filaments short and thick. Anthers of the lowest stamen with two distinct cells, of the lateral stamens with one cell each, the cells concave, each one of the lateral anthers when in bud facing the adjoining one of the lower anthers and forming but one cell with it, but separating as the flower opens; the upper anther abortive and replaced by a small membrane connecting the filament with the posterior margin of the stigma. Ovary 1-celled, crowned by a tuft of gland-like hairs, with one laterally attached ovule. Style filiform, dilated at the end into an oblique disk, stigmatic on its upper surface which is turned towards the upper perianth-lobe and retained in that position by the membrane connecting it with the filament, the anterior margin of the disk often lobed or 2-horned. Fruit a small indehiscent nut.—Shrubs or undershrubs. Leaves all, or in one species only the lower ones, on long petioles with a sheathing scale-like dilatation at the base, the lamina entire or divided, with few primary veins, pitted all over by minute reticulations. Flowers small, yellow, in spikes often at first dense at length elongated, each one sessile within a small concave bract, the common peduncle simple or branched, often very long, inserted in the axil of a rather large sheathing scale, being the base of an abortive leaf.
The genus is limited to extratropical West Australia, very distinct as a whole from all others, but difficult as to the discrimination of species. With the exception of S. polymorpha and S. pinnata, the foliage is almost as variable in a single individual as in the whole group of species, and the habit, inflorescence, perianths, and stamens are nearly uniform; their remains therefore, besides minor differences in indumentum and the size of the flowers, very little of specific distinction except the modifications of the stigma or stigmatic end of the style, and even these are sometimes not very well defined.
Spikes simple, not exceeding the shortly petiolate floral leaves |
1. S. polymorpha. |
Leaves all on long petioles. Flowering branches long, leafless, and usually branched. | |
Stigma 2-horned. | |
Base of the petioles hirsute. Spike pubescent. Leaves mostly entire or shortly lobed |
2. S. dilatata. |
Whole plant glabrous or the base of the petioles slightly silky. Leaves except the lowest deeply lobed or divided |
3. S. favosa. |
Stigma produced into a single oblong incurved entire or 2-lobed appendage. Leaves with long diverging lobes |
4. S. Preissii. |
